Means for protecting water-pipes against bursting by freezing.



' PATENTED Nov. 24, 1903.

N. M. HOPKINS. MEANS POR PROTECTING WATER PIPES AGAINST BURSTING BYPREEZING.

APPLIGATTON FILED FEB. 24. 1902.

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IINrTED STATES Patented November 24, 1903.

Parham Ormea.

NEVIL MONROE HOPKINS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TOANTI-BURSTING PIPE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING WATER-PPES AGAINST BURSTING BY FREEZING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 74 5,060, datedNovember 24, 1903. Application filed February 24, 1902. Serial No95,300. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.: y

Be it known that I, NEVIL MONROE HOP- KINS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Vasbington, District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Means for Protecting Water-PipesAgainst Bnrsting by Freezing; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 616,188, dated December 20,1898, and No. 626,908, dated June 13, 1899, I have shown and describedthe protection of Water-pipes and the like from bursting by freezing bythe expedient of interposing in the pipe system at appropriate intervalspneumatic chambers Water-sealed at their bases, and which providecapacities within which the excess of the expanding ice or water columnmay be received,thereby relievingthe bursting strain that wouldotherwise be exerted on the pipewalls.

My present invention relates to devices of the same general character,as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical or longitudinalsectional View of one form or embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2represents, on a somewhat larger scale, a similar View of another formor modification thereof.

Similarletters of reference indicate similar parts in both views.

The two forms or modifications shown, as will be readily seen, differfrom each other merely in the manner in which the outer chamber orwater-passage A is attachedto the coupling-piece B, their constructionin other respects being the same and their mode of operation being thesame.

Broadly considered, the main or leading characteristic feature of myinvention consists in locating an air-chamber Within a water-conduitsystem in line with the flow of Water therethrough and surrounding orencompassing the air-chamber with a waterpassage which communicates withthe airchamber by basal openings, so that there will be formed inalinement with the expanding ice or water column a space into which itcan enter freely without the interposition of deflecting ridges orprojections, this space being, moreover, of ample capacity and beingsecurely sealed at its base by openings so distributed as to favor themaintenance of the desired air-pressure by entrapping airbubbles thatwould otherwise pass by to the outlet-faucets.

In practice I prefer to embody my invention ina fitting capable ofseparate manufacture and sale and adapted to be inserted between andconnected up with adjoining pipe-sections of Water-supply system. Thusin the drawings, B indicates acoupling-piece screw-threaded at its inletend b for4 attachment to the pipe-section from which it receives itssupply. The coupling-piece B is likewise screw-threaded for thereception of the air-cham ber O, which is preferably a tube closed atone end and provided at its other end or base with apertures or openingsc, preferably spaced at small distances about its periphery. Exterior tothe air-chamber O is the surrounding water-passage chamber A, separatedfrom it by anV intervening waterspace, into which the apertures c enter.The chamber A is screw-threaded at d for attachment to the pipe-sectioninto which it discharges. At its other end it is secured to thecoupling-piece B in any suitable mannerfor instance, as shown in Fig. 1,by a screwjoint or, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a flange-joint withbolts and nuts.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming the conduitsystem to be provided between adjoining pipe-sections or at any othersuitable intervals with fittings of the kind described, the full iniiowof water into the system will seal the openings c throughout the system,and the water will rise in the air-chambers until equilibrium isestablished between the water-pressure and air-pressure therein, asindicated, for instance, in Fig. 2. If necessary,the pressure within theair-chambers may be augmented at any time loy the insuffiation of airinto the water column, the

bubbles of air thus introduced passing the apertures c and entering theair-collecting space beyond. The equal distribution or spacing of theapertures about the periphery of the air-chamber is favorable to theentrapping of any air thus introduced or any air which may be otherwisepresent in the water the Waterwithin the conduit freeze, it will beapparent that the excess ofthe expanding ice or Water column will enterthe air-space of the protector, thereby saving the pipe from bursting.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- Means forprotectingWater-cond uitsystems from bursting by freezing, consisting of afitting` adapted to be interposed between adjacent pipe-sections of thesystem, said fitting comprising a tubular air-chamber of a diameter atleast equal to that of the system and having a series of apertures atits base, said air-chamber being in alinement with the inlet-pipesection of the system and in full and free communication therewith atthe place ofjuncture, and a surrounding tubular chamber, separated fromthe air-chamber by an intervening water-passage and communicatingtherewith by means of the said basal apertures; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NEVIL MONROE' HOPKINS.y

Witnesses:

EDWIN S. OLARKsoN, JULIA M. WRENN.

